Henry w



(No Model.)

. H. W. THURSTON.

COMBINED HAND TRUCK AND WBIGHING SCALES.

No. 425,271. Patented Apr. 8, 1890.

WI rasse-s,

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

HENRY V. THURSTON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EMERY N. DOlVNS, OF SAME PLACE.

COMBINED HAND-TRUCK AND WEIGHING-SCALES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 425,271, dated April 8, 1890.

Application filed November 19, 1889 Serial No. 330,891. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: upon which they both swing to approach or Be it known that I, HENRY XV. THURSTON, move away from each other. a citizen of the United States, residing in O designates a pair of arms forming the Brooklyn, Kings county, and State of New preferred means of attaching the wheel-axle 5 York, have invented certain new and useful to the fulcrum-bar.

Improvements in Combined Hand-Truckand I D designates the side arms of the truck- NVeighing-Scales, of which the following is a body.

specification, reference being had to the ac- (1, (Z and d designate cross-bars connectcompanying drawings. ing the side arms together. My invention relates specially to that class (1* designates the lifting-shoe. 60

of hand-trucks mounted on two wheels used (1 designates a spring-pocket formed in the for the movement of goods, merchandise, &c., side arms D as a means forholding the springs along the docks and sidewalks. in place and for pocketing the spring when This combined truck and weighing-scales not in use.

I 5 is specially intended for shippers use, and Attached, preferably, at each end of the 65 is only expected to indicate approximate wheel-axle are springs a, preferably held in weights sniiiciently near for freight charges. place upon the axle by an inner guide-pin,

This invention consists in the application, upon which the spring moves up and down. adaptation, and combination of a weighing- The action of this spring arising from its elasscale attachment to the body of the truck in ticity moves the truck-body and wheel-axle 70 such manner that a movement of the body of away from each other, and it requires a load the truck toward the wheel-axle indicates the upon the truck-body to effectthe closing or weight of the load carried; also of the conshortening of the spring. struction, arrangement, and combination of The capacity of this combined hand-truck the several parts or portions composing the and weighing scale is controlled by the 7 combined hand-truck and scales, as hereinstrength of the spring to support the 1 l after described and claimed. upon the truck-body. As soon as the body of Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 reprethe truck comes in contact with the axle, no sents a longitudinal section through a comfurther load can be weighed, and in propor- 0 bined hand-truck and weighing-scales emtion to the load coming upon the springs the So bodying my improvements. It represents the truck -body moves toward the wheelaxle. combined truck and scales at an average po- Now, to indicate the movements of the trucksiticn or angle for weighing an ordinary load, body toward the wheel-axle, and also th such position or angle varying somewhat, acweight of the load applied, a gear-connection cording to size or bulk of the load weighed is made between the axle and truck-body, 85 and carried. Fig. 2 represents a second lonand a shaft a to which a hand is attached, gitndinal section showing the weighing derotates in front of a dial-plate to indicate the tails closed and made inoperative, and the number of pounds the load weighs. My presprings constituting the weighing apparatus ferred method, as here shown, is by means of closed into pockets in the side timbers of rack and pinions a and c adapted to rotate 0 the body of the truck away from the dust and shaft (0 and this shaft a is carried along dirt. Figs. 3 and 4 represent special views the bottom of truck-body to the immediate of the combined truck and scales, showing the neighborhood of the handles. A dial a, which operating parts and connections in position. forms the bearing for the handle end of the 5 Similar letters of reference designate like shaft (6 is attached to cross-bar d of the 5 parts or portions in all the figures. truck-body, and the indicating-hand a is at- A designates the axle and wheels, upon tached at the end of the shaft to", and the conwhich the truck is moved. sequent rotation of this hand points out on B designates a fulcrum-bar, to which the the dial the weight of the load. 5o truck-body and wheel-axle are attached, and For the purpose of closing the weighing ap Ice paratus and rendering it inoperative when not required for use, the wheel-axle is forced up against the truck-body until the spring is completely housed within the pocket To enable the operator of the truck to open or close the weighing apparatus at will, the operation is preferably eifected by means of a lever e which also acts as a leg for the truck-body to rest upon when not in use.

A special supporting-leg e for the handle end of the weighing-truck is constructed as shown in the side views of same in Figs. 1 and 2 and front view in Fig. 4. This leg is of U shape, each of the portions being marked in Figs. 1 and 2 by letter 6 It extends across the truck beneath the body in the shape as shown and marked 6 in Fig. 4.. It swings upon a pair of eyes or centers 6 which eyes or centers are attached to the two side arms D. A pair of side rods 6 connect with the ends of supporting-leg 6 as shown in Fig. 4, and also with wheel-axle A. Now, by moving or swinging this supporting-leg 6 upon its centers or eyes 6?, a push or pull upon the side rods 6 is effected, which in turn causes the wheel-axle A to move toward or from the spring-pockets and forcing the springs to an active or inactive position within the pockets (Z in the side arms D. Thus the supportingleg 6 performs two duties-namely, that of supporting the handle end of truck-body when not in use and that of effecting by lever age the opening or closing of the springs for action or inaction. When the springs are open and active, this leg-lever is in the position as marked by e e e in Fig. 1, and when closed the leg-lever is in the position as marked similarly in Fig. 2.

In the operation of this combined truck and weighing scales, a load havingbeen placed, as usual, upon the truck-body, the truck as a whole is held in position similar to that for wheeling, and in such position that the center of gravity of the load to be moved and weighed shall be in direct line with the center line of spring action, or for ordinary loads at an angle similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Pressure of the load comes in the direction of and upon the springs a, closing them more or less, according to the weight of load carried. The movement of the truck body and wheels toward each other affects the gear movement of the indicating-shaft a and this shaft revolving moves the hand 6'' to indicate the weight of the load upon the dial a.

The springs a pockets (Z gear-rack a, the truck-body and wheel-axle, all are formed and connected to move upon the fulcrum-rod B as a center, following the curved line a. The leg-lever c moves upon a center a following the curved line y 3 Two weighing-springs are preferably used, as shown-that is, one under each side arm D of the truck-body. In case of heavier loads, however, any number of springs to meet the weighing demands may be used and placed between the said wheel-axle and the truckbody, an extra heavy timber being stretched across between the side arms to take the thrust of springs and load.

lVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. I11 combination with the truck-body and wheel-axle of a hand-truck, a fulcrum-rod to which said truck-body and wheel-axle are attached, and a weighing-spring located and acting between the said truck-bod y and wheelaxle, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In combination with the truck-body and wheel-axle of a hand-truck, a fulcrunrrod to which said truck-body and wheel-axle are attached, one or more weighing-springs located and acting between said truck body and wheel-axle, and means, substantially as set forth, for rendering the weighing apparatus inoperative, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In combination with the truck-body and wheel-axle of a hand-truck, a fulcrum-rod to which said truck-body and wheel-axle are attached, one or more weighing-springs located and actin gbetween said truck-body and wheelaxle, a gear-rack and pinion attached to said wheel-axle and truck-body, respectively, a shaft and pointer operated by said rack and pinion, and a weight-indicator, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

HENRY IV. TIIU'RS'ION'.

\Vitnesses:

WM. H. WEIGIITMAN, MIGUEL A. IENA. 

